Tufting machine



Oct.26, 1937, S, "2,096,720;

TUFT ING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR Clarence M clones.

ilvqm ATTORN EYS Oct. 26, 1937. c. M. JONES r TUFTING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J INVENTOIR ATTORNEYS Clarence M; dbDGS Y Q I "Patented Oct. 1937 A r. v A A p I S PATENT OFFICE 2,096,120 TUFTING MACHINE Clarence Jones,.Ca;lhoun, Ga. p v Application March 1 1937, Serial No. 128,306* I 9 Claims. (01. 112-79) g i I Thisinvention relates to improvements in' tuftlower edge 23 of. the shank 2| is ground to; a

UNITED ;s1-A T ing machines. I shear edge. A shear blade 24 is pivotally mount- An object of the invention is to provide an ed at 24a on the looper body 20 so as to be coop: improved looping and shearing device. crative with the shear edge 23. Theforward end Another object is to provide a device of the 25 of the shear blade 24 isblunted; and theilen'gthi 5 above nature in which operationof the shearing of the blade is such that when it is rocked-upmechanism immediately precedes actuation of wardinto closed position the blunt end 25 is l the looping means and in which movements of cated closely adjacent the rear slope of thehook the looper are short and rapid. 22. A spring washer 26 may beprovided under 10 Another object is to provide 'a device of the the head of the pivot 24a to urge the shear blade 10 above Character in which the parts are simple, 24 into proper shearing relation with the edge 23'. strong and durable. v The shear blade 24 has a downwardly extend- A further object is to provide a device of the ingarm 21 to which is pivoted at 28 one end of a. above nature in which storageof successive loops transverse rod 29. The other end of the rod 29; on looping member is eliminated. n Y A still further object is to provide adevice of which is pivoted to a lever 3| on the end of a the above nature which may be operated at high rocker shaft 32 journalled in the frame 33 of the speed. l l T machine, the bracket l5 being secured to the'bot- Other objects and advantages of the invention tom of frame 33 as shown in Fi e y bolts 35 as shown in Figure 2, is secured to an eye 30 15 will become evident during the course of the folextending throu h l d'h Fi 4 nd 2O.

/ lowing description in conjunction with the ac- The rocker shaft32 is op y means of a'seccompanying drawings, in which 0nd lever 31, Figure 3, which is linked through a Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective 'viewof the connecting rod 38 to an eccentric'39 on the main looping and shearing mechanism.- shaft 40 of the machine. r v 5 Figure 2 is an end view of a machine incorpo- Referring to Figures 1 and 2,- it will be seen. I

rating the invention. 1 that the coverplate M has therein an opening 4| Figure 3 is a vertical section view showing the through wh is s d a at e y Short 5 91 I Q rocker-shaft connections. r H V Figure 4 is a side view of the device partly in shear arm 21 extends throug the p g 4| and v section. engages the slot 42, but is adapted to swing freely 30:

Figure 5 is a fragmental view showing a loop between the left andright ends and 44 ofsthe being sheared. 1 latter. The lever 3|: and 'rod29 areadapted-toj Figure 6 is a similar view showing the looper impart to the pivot 28 a motion longer thanithe intercepting a loop. I latters possible swing in ,the slot'42. .As a result,,

42 in the rectangular-bar l3. Thepivot 2a offthe p Figure 7 is'a similar view'showing the shear when the rod 29 starts astroke to the right,it iirst 5? I opened to receive the loop. I swings the shear about the pivot 24a into com- Figure 8 is a similar view showing the looper plete Shearing e gagementiwiththe shank edge retracted, 23, then as the pivot-23 encounters the right end Referring to Figure 1, the numeral l0 indicate 44 of the slot 42, continued motion of the rod 29' a rear plate on which are disposed a lower guide moves the entire combination of bar ,i Pe 40 rail l2 and an upper guid ail II, A rectangu- 20 and shear .24 to the right'as a unit until the 1 b r l3 is slidably guided bet n th rails counterclockwise motion of the rockinglever 3|,

II and |2, and is retained in place by'a cover 2,18 Completed- Similarly, motion. of t plate M, the cover plate, rails and guide. plate lever 3| androd 29 to theleft first swings the 45 being secured to an angle bracket l5 by means of d 24 clockwise into pe position while i5 bolts Is, the bracket being vertically slotted as at the bar n looper remain a y. then Isa, Fi 4, to rec ive the b lts, A v rti l ridge as the pivot 28 encountersthe left end. 43 of the or key 11 n th bra k t is engages a, groove l3 slot 42 the bar, looper and shearare moved to in the rear plate I0, thus serving to position the the left as a unitus he first part ofeach latter and its attached parts accurately and rigidstrokeof the rod 29 closes or opens the shear while 50 ly i place. the secondpart slides the shear and looperassem- Thebar |3 has'an upright portion IE to which b y bodily forward or backward- AS lfihe ehgageis secured a fiat triangular looper body 20 having ment of the pivot 28with either end of the slot 42 .a horizontally extending shank 2| which termioccurs near the midpoint of the motion imparted nates in a downwardly directed book 22. The to the rocker shaft 32 and lever 3| by th'eec- 55,

centric 39, Fig. 3, the start of the looper assemblys sliding motion occurs suddenly and at relatively high speed. Sufilcient friction is provided between the bar I3 and its guides to prevent overrun of the bar in either direction and to ensure operation of the shear before sliding can occur.

The machine comprises the usual head 45, Figures 2 and 4, having a vertically reciprocating plunger 46 carrying aneedle 41 having an eye 48 near the point thereof. A tension device of any suitable type, such as a spiral spring 49 on the top of plunger 46, is provided to take up slack and set up proper tension in the yarn 5| threaded through the eye 48 of the needle 41 in the usual manner, the needle being adapted to reciprocate through a throat plate II. The machine also comprises feeding shoes 52, cooperative with the usual presser foot 53 and adapted to feed a fabric 56 to the left between downward strokes of the needle 41, the feeding shoes. being operable from two, rocker shafts 54 and ii in a manner well known in the art and therefore requiring no further description herein.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Referring to Figures 5 6, "I, and 8, it will be seen that when the needle 41 is driven downward through the fabric 56 it travels past the hook 22, reaches the bottom of its stroke and in starting its return stroke forms a loop 61 of the yarn Ill. Meanwhile the lever 3| and rod 2! have been drawing the pivot 28 to the right to swing the shear 24 counter-clockwise and sever any previous, loop whichmay be on the shank II, and thereby form a pair of tufts. As the loop" isformed by the upward motion of the needle 41, the pivot 28, having closed the shear, encounters the right end 44 of the slot 42, and the continued motion of the pivot moves the entire looper and shear combination sharply forward, thrusting the hook 22 through the loop 51.. The continued upward movement of the needle 4'! draws the loop 51 into the V-notch formed by the rear inclined edge of the hook "and the blunt nose 2' of the shear blade.

'As the rocker shaft 32 terminates its counterclockwise motion and starts .its return-or clockwise swing the rod '28 and pivot 28 first swing open the shear. At the same time the feeding shoes 52 move the fabric 56 to the left and this motiontogether with the upward tension of the yarn 50 slides the loop 51 up the inclined edge of the hook 22 and onto the shank 2| above the edge of the .shear blade; the looper remaining stationary during this operation. As theshear comes to full open position the pivot 28 engages the left end 43 of the slot 42 and thereafter moves'the looper and shear bodily-to the left, retracting the hook 22 and the loop thereon to allow the needle 41 to form the next loop.- The shear is again closed to shear the loop on shank 2i and the hook I! is immediately thrust forward to intercept the newly formed loop.-

From the foregoing description it is evident that the shank 2| holds only one loop'at a time, thus avoiding any possibility of crowding and interference such as may occur in machines requiring the simultaneous storage of two or more loops. The shearing of each loop is followed almost instantaneously by the interception of the next, thus further avoiding anypossible displacementor tangling of the yarn. The fact that the looper remains stationary at the forward end of its stroke promotes accurate location of the loop on the hook. Similarly, the fact of the looper's stationary period at the rear end of its travel permits its rear location to be quite near the needle. The intermittent motion of the looper thus occurs over a comparatively short distance, and this fact together with the close and accurate inter-relation of the parts with the needle, and elimination of possible tangling permits the machine to be operated satisfactorily at high speed. As the looper itself is in effect operated through the shear, it is impossible for these parts to get out of proper timing. The shearing of each loop prior to the interception of the next makes'it unnecessary at the end of a run to operate the machine further in order to shear any stored loops.

The horizontally slotted holes 36 in the bracket ll allow the entiremechanism to be moved longitudinally on the frame 33 to adjust the path of the hook 22 nearer to or farther from the path of the needle 41. Similarly, the slottedholes Ila in the bracket I! provide for vertical adjustment by moving the rear plate Iii-upward or downward-along the key II. The eye may be threaded to the rod 29, thus also providing for crosswise adjustment of the mechanism with regard to the needle. It. will be seenthat the parts are few, simple and rugged. making the device adaptable to long and rapid operation without trouble or wear. v

While the inventionhas been described in preferred form, it is not limited to the exact struc'- ture illustrated, as various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims;

1. In a tufting machine, in combination, means to support a fabric, a needle reciprocable through said support to carry a yarn through said fabric, said needle being adapted to form successive loops under said fabric, a looper movably supported adjacentsaid needle and comprising a hook adapted to'individually receive said loops, a shear member pivotally mounted on said looper and cooperative therewith to individually shear said loops,a second pivot in said shear, stops on said looper adapted to be engaged by said second pivot to limit the arc of swing of said second pivot and said shear in bothdirections and means connected to said second pivot and movable in one direction to initially open said shear and to move said second pivot against one of said stops andto subsequentiy move said first stop and said shear and looper as a unit whereby said looper may be withdrawn from said needle while carrying one loop and operable in the other direction to initiallyclose said shear and to move said second pivot against said other stop whereby said loopmay be severed and to subsequently advancesaid second stop and said shear and looper as a'unit whereby said looper may intercept a second loop.

2. In the tufting device cooperative with a .reciprocating needle. adapted to carry yarn said looper and cooperative with said shearing.

edge to sever said loops, a second pivot in said shear member, steps on said looper and adapted to be engaged by said second pivot whereby said shear member may have an arc of swing on said looper determined by the limited distance of movement of saidsecond pivot between said stops, and actuating means attached to said second 3. In a tufting device, in combinatiommeans, to support a fabric, a needle reciprocable to carry a yarn through said fabric and to form loops thereunder, a looper movably mounted adjacent said needle and movable past the'same to singly intercept said loops, a shear member movably mounted on said looper and cooperativetherewithto shear said loops, stops on said looper to limit the motion of said shear on said looper, and means attached to said shear member to move the same on said looper, said means being operable through said stops to move said looper and shear member as a unit upon completion of each movement of said shear member on said looper.

4. In a tufting machine, in combination, a frame, means on said frame to Supp rt a fabric, a needle reciprocable through said support to carry yarn through said fabric and adapted to form loops of said yam thereunder, a bar slidably supported under said frame and reciprocable in a line perpendicular to the path of saidneedle, said bar having therein a longitudinal slot, a rigid looper secured to said bar and including a shank having a shearing edge and terminating in a hook adapted to pass close to said needle to singly intercept said 'loops, a shear member pivotally secured to'said looper and cooperative with said edge, an extension on said shear member, a pivot in said extension and engaging said slot, said pivot being movable throughout the length of said slot, and means to move said pivot forward a distance greater than the length of the latters movement in said slot whereby said shear may beactuated to sever a loop on said shank and whereby continuing movement of said pivot may'immediately thrust said hook forward to intercept a second loop, the return motion of said moving means being adapted first to open said shear and immediately thereafter to retract said hook.

5. 'I'hecombination claimed in claim 4 wherein said machine comprises a main drive shaft and wherein said moving means includes a rocker' shaft supported by said frame, -a lever onsaid I rocker shaft, a rod connecting said lever to said pivot, a second lever on said rocker shaft, an eccentric on said drive shaft, and ajconnecting rod cooperative with said eccentric and articulated to said second lever.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, means to form a series of loops of yarn on a fabric, means movable-to individually intercept said loops, means on said intercepting means operable to individually shear said loops, stops on said intercepting means, means attached to said shearing means and adapted to engage said stops to limit the motion of said shearing means on said intercepting, means andsingle means to actuate said shearing means and to move said engaging means against one of said stops whereby a loopon said intercepting means may be sheared and immediately thereafter to move said stop, shearing means and intercepting means as a unit whereby a second loop may be intercepted, said looping means remaining stationary during operation of said shearing means.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6, wherein said single means has a return motion adapted to open said shearing means until said engaging means engages said second stop and immediately thereafter to retract said engaging means second stop, shearing means and intercepting means, said intercepting means remaining stationary during opening of said shearing means.

8. Ina looper and shear for a tufting machine having a frame carrying a support for a fabric and a needle reciprocable through said support to carry yarn through said fabric and form loops thereunder, in combination, a rigid angle bracket adjustably secured to the bottom ofsaid frame, a vertical key on said bracket, a rear plate having a. keyway engaging said key, a horizontal rail on said rear plate, a second horizontal rail on said rear plate above said first rail and vertically I edge, a downwardly directed hook on the end of said shank, said hook having a rearwardly inclined rear edge, a shear member pivoted to said body and cooperative with said shearing edge, a blunt nose on said shear cooperative with said inclined edge of said hook to form a V-notch adapted to individually receive said loops, a downward extension on said shear member, a pivot in said extension, said pivot engaging said slot and being adapted to swing freely throughout the length thereof to actuate said shear, and means operable in timed relation with said needle to move said pivot back and forth a distance greater than the 7 length of swing thereof in said slot;

9. In a looper and shear for a tufting machine having a frame carrying a support for afabric and a needle reciprocable through said support to carry yarn through said fabric and to form loops thereunder, in combination, a, rigid angle bracket adjustably secured to the bottom of said frame, a vertical key on said bracket, a rear plate having a keyway engaging saidkey, a horizontal rail on said rear plate, a second horizontal rail on said rear plate above said first rail and vertically spaced therefrom, a bar slidably guidedbetween said rails, a cover plate on said rails and retaining said bar in place, vertically adjustable-means securing said plates and rails to said bracket, a looper secured to said body and adapted to intercept said loops when said body isreciprocated between said rails, means on said looper to'shear said loops, and means operable in timed relation with said needle to reciprocate said body and to means.

actuate said shearing CLARENCE M. JONES. 

